Why Do Songs Get Stuck in Your Head? | Live Science

There are some songs that just beg to become embedded in your brain. “It’s a Small World.” “My Sharona.” “YMCA.”

Even a die-hard Village People fan is bound to get a little annoyed the 70-millionth time “It’s fun to stay at the Y, M, C, A!” screeches through their skull. But why are sticky songs — earworms, as they’re known — so hard to dislodge? And what kinds of songs are likely to get stuck in our brains, anyway?